At sugar shacks throughout Quebec, Canada, maple syrup is heated then cooled on snow to make maple syrup taffy (or tire d’érable as they call it in Quebec). The taffy tastes just like maple syrup (duh), with a satisfyingly chewy texture that melts in your mouth.

Seeing that winter storm Hercules has covered the entire Northeast with powdery white snow (and you’ve been asked to work from home for your own safety), it’s the perfect time to try your hand at making Québécois-style maple syrup taffy.

The best part of this fun snow day treat is, it can be made in just a few easy steps:

Step 1:

Gather some fresh snow and pack it into a pie plate or roasting pan. Obviously, if you live in NYC this is a little gross, so we’re hoping you live in the forest in Vermont.

Step 2:

Bring one cup of real maple syrup to a boil in a small saucepan.

Step 3:

When the syrup reaches 235°F (the soft-ball stage) take it off the heat and immediately drizzle it over the packed snow. Let the syrup cool for a few seconds.

Step 4:

Either pick it up with your fingers and eat, or take a popsicle stick and twirl the frozen maple syrup around the stick.